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It originates from China where it is practised in a traditional manner.
Taiji Quan responds perfectly to the Occidental need for balance and relaxation.
It looks like slow gymnastics where each gesture and each attitude has its importance.
When practised in a group,
it is remniscent of the ondulating movements of seaweed rocked by the waves.
The relaxation progressively reaches the muscular blocages;
these are translations of psychological tensions due to life’s ordeals and are recorded by the body.
We learn to “let ourselves breathe”. Gradually, a deep and natural low breathing settles in.
We become aware of the internal energy flow,
the Qi (or chi) and we learn to direct it and use it.
Throughout this evolution, little by little, the student – even a beginner – develops a
sense of his/her unity, the awareness of being rather than “doing” or “having”.
The kind of flexibility we are seeking for here has nothing to do with joint openness.
While practising very precise movements, the attention is on the globality
of the body in “continuous merging” movements,
thus leading to another form of physical and mental flexibility.
The fluidity is initially physical and facilitates the free energy flow.
Then follows a psychological relaxation and a calm and dynamic inner state.
The modern form 108 coming from the Yang Chengfu school.
Pushing hands:
Two partners face to face try to unbalance each other
by pushing or pulling the other or holding him in a lock.
You can use the hands, arms, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders and even the torso for advanced students.
Push the oponent on the chest, the arms and hips.
In some cases, it's possible to use the legs or the hips.
"Initial stipulation": The two players have to keep in contact.
Second principle,
that makes it different to wrestling or sumo, by listening to the other one's action so as not resist it
or use physical strength, you should follow it, be with it, deviate it,
use the other one's energy to send it back in your turn.
The game continues until one of the players
loses his balance, is projected, puts a hand to the ground...
The general intention is always to learn.
In Tui Shou, you learn from losing and dropping any conditioning,
reflexes, education, habits, complacency.
"to invest in the loss" is a difficult creed, it's infuriating, but
that's exactly the aim of learning pushing hands.
There are mainly two types:
- static stance where the aim is to make the other player lift one foot (at least)
- mobile stance where both players can move whilst keeping in contact,
but only in a predetermined area outside of which a player is out of the game.
Tui shou is an enriching exercise for contact,
"confrontation" however soft it is with the other, the sense of conviviality
and the management of actions within the small circle (in great proximity, with contact).
It helps to develop several principles with an internal martial approach.
=> listen/feel, stay centered ("at home"), stay rooted/grounded,
general structure, flexibility, give way (not avoid or give up),
use softness, know how to lose, play, stick, follow, adhere to
(comes after to stick+follow, engages the heart, the intention of the movement),
be aware whilst being relaxed, non-acting
(when already at a high level of practice),
being able to emit an explosive thrust whilst staying grounded...
Tui Shou isn't directly linked to combat,
but the qualities developed will prove very useful for
Chi Sao and close combat.
da lu:
Resembles Tui Shou with mobile steps,
the partners carry out techniques each in turn, like pulling [lu],
shoulder strike, pushing [ji]...
The moves and attacks/ parries are codified and the whole sequence takes place in a square on the floor
(a bit like the form sequence “fair lady works shuttle”).
=> listening, following, mobility, centering...
With practice, the two partners will be able to slip in unexpected techniques,
and find their marks while carrying on with their da lu.
Qi Sao
Yang Shaohou's short form:
a short sequence that is repeated back and forth,
the technique being performed symmetrically.
=> keep focused, relaxed and centred, while accelerating progressively the rhythm,
slap steps and fa jing. Practised without excess or routine, this is a very stimulating exercise.
The small San Shou:
a small sequence of feints/parries and counter-attacks performed by a person “not being able to step back”.
=> pivoting feint, “cartwheel” of the hips, slap steps, fa jing...
This is the defender’s sequence, the attacks being much more brief.
Pao Chui and Large San Shou:
Two forms that generate a “combat form” when performed by two partners.
»
Memo
on the technique names and directions
12 circles: brief explosive sequences of parries/feints and counter-attacks, each exercise focusing on one of the twelve acupuncture meridians. Various interpretations are possible depending on whether one chooses strikes or luxation (Qin Na).
 One of the 12 circles
by T. Alibert et students Rencontres Jasnières 2004 » Download |
Old Yang style form assigned to Yang LuChan:
Dating back to the XIXth century,
it’s the origin of all the Yang styles. Its progression is at times calm,
at times explosive.
Old Yang Style form (spontaneous demonstration)
by T. Alibert (Digeridoo: Gaël Macho) Rencontres Jasnières · 2004 » Download |
Taiji Staff (taiji gun)
»
Memo on the technical names &
directions
Short sequence for two staffs
Yang style Taiji sword
»
Memo on the names of the techniques
Photo: IProd >>
Taiji sword
by T. Alibert and students Gourdon 2004 » Download |
Simple sword from Pekin
Memo on the names of the techniques
Combined sword and dagger
Chen style Taiji fan (Taiji Shan)
»
Memo
on the names of the techniques
Taiji fans
by Agnès Brouillaud Rencontres Jasnières 2004 » Download |
Yang sabre
(Taiji Dao)
» Memo on the names of the techniques
Two-Dagger Form of Li Bokuei
»
Memo on the names of the techniques
Five elements and corresponding animals
This energy-channelling art form originates in the philosophical concept of Chinese tradition
and traditional medicine. It was set up over 5 000 years ago by Taoist monks
and gradually transmuted to to Buddhism and Confucianism.
Qi gong strengthens the organism and gives it health,
strength and longevity whatever the age or sex of the student.
It develops the vital energy and optimises its flow through the acupuncture meridians.
It restores the balance between yin and yang. Man is an integral part of nature as a whole.
Thus, he is influenced by the original vital breath of the universe.
The good usage of qi (pronounced “tchi”) is therefore indispensable to our well-being.
Qi gong will enable us to deal with stress in a soft and progressive way, by controlling our emotions,
our fears and our anxieties.
If practised regularly,
it can prevent illness by strengthening the defensive energy used to fight external threats.
Finally, practised in a happy environment and as part of a friendly group,
it will keep us “young and in good health”.
The Five treasures
Qi Gong to soothe pain
8 standing sequences
The five animals of the Yi Quan
Eight strands of brocade
(Ba Duan Jin): Four variations on this famous series.
» One
interesting
page on these strands of brocade.
Statue of the marshal Yue Fei to whom is attributed
the Eight strands of brocade.
(photograph taken at Hangzhou)
The twelve energy channelling spirals
Some of the 12 spirals
by T. Alibert & students (Didgeridoo: G. Macho) Rencontres Jasnières · 2004 » Download |
The seated eight wonders: Buddhist Qi Gong.
Exercises stimulating the opening of the 12 acupuncture meridians
Qi Gong of the great wild geese
(Da Yan Gong):
Here's a website
about the Da Yan Gong,
you'll find the names of the different movements.
Posture Qi Gong (Zhang Zhuan)
: travail de renforcement interne de la structure des postures.
Manual Techniques for Relaxation
Thierry Alibert, a specialist in internal and external martial arts,
is following his path in the spirit of oriental tradition
by learning to master the Manual Techniques for Relaxation.
He has been studying these techniques at the ARTEC in Montpellier
and you can now make the most of his twenty-five years experience in practising the “qi arts”
(ki for the Japanese and prana for the hindous),
forms of practice that aim to re-establish the balance of the vital energy’s harmonious flow.
He offers a synthesis of three practices recognised for their effectiveness:
tui na, Korean relaxation
and Thai massage.
There are regular individual and group sessions at
Cahors, Gourdon
and its whereabouts (by appointment).
Tui Na:
It could be translated as "pull-push".
It brings together various massage techniques
developed by generations of Chinese therapists that have a common principal objective:
to harmonize and regulate the circulation of the qi.
Each technique used is unique in its effects and has its own true “personality”.
Korean relaxation:
It is an original method of relaxation
through vibrations of different areas of the body.
The sense of deep physical and mental relaxation that it provides
is reached by very few other methods.
It relaxes the deep muscle structure, the back,
makes sleeping easier and opens the way to the resources of our subconscious mind.
Thai massage:
It is a combination of stretching and punctual pressures
acting on muscles, ligaments, articulations, bones, conjunctive tissues and organs
to re-establish the energetic balance of the body.
A session provides a nice and durable sense of well-being, relaxation, harmony
but also dynamism.
Eight Trigram Palm is a chinese internal martial art
as are Taiji Quan, Xing Yi Quan, Da Cheng Quan, Yi Quan...
Ba Gua Zhang is therefore also elaborated on internal principles
but its practice is more centered on spiral movements, vertical axis,
circular movements in space (walking in a circle),
pivots and changes of direction...
All theses aspects reflect the chinese alchemy of transformations illustrated in the
trigrams, each one evoking a kind of energy (fire, water, heaven, wind...).
These trigrams are more popularly known through the famous Yi Jing.
Ba Gua Zhang practice develops a sense of fluidity from a sequence of techniques,
the ability to move in all directions,
flexibility through the various torsions...
As in Taiji Quan,
the Ba Gua Zhang practice consists of exercises (Ji Ben Gong), unarmed sequences,
also weapons (sabre, sword...) Tui Shou and other combat aspects.
To use an image, if some boxers are like hammers or flashes of lightning,
then one could say the Ba Gua boxer is more like a tornado.
Thierry is offering an introduction to Ba Gua Zhang with...
The Eight Ba Gua Zhang palms:
Eight unarmed sequences revolving around a circle and progressively increasing in complexities.
»
Memo on the various technique names
